Automatic coupling.



'No. 648,780. I Patented May I, I900. l'. H. PATCHING.

AUTOMATIC GOUPL ING.

(Application filed July 22, 1899.)

(No Model.)

THE Nonms PETERS 00., mommrnou wxsmnm'un. D. c

UNITED STATES PATENT Futon.

AUTOMATIC COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 648,780, dated May 1,1900.

Application fil July 22, 1899. Serial No. 724,840. (No model.)

To (LZZ whom it may concern: Be it known that I, THOMAS HENRY PATCH-ING, tailor, residing at Strathfield,in the Colony of New South ales,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic CouplingsforUse on RailwayCai-riages and the Like; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description simple inconstruction and certain in action than any hitherto invented. p

A further object is to provide a coupling possessing theafo'resaidmerits which can be disconnected without necessitatingthe'oper- .ator going between the carriages.

My invention consists of a ratchet-bar hinged to a draw-bar of ordinaryconstruc-. tion, hereinafter called the male coupling, and a femalecoupling soconstructed as to receive and retain the same. portionconsists of two metal bars of peculiar construction, as hereinafterdescribed, similarly hinged to a draw-bar of ordinary con,- structionand having between them an eccentric pawl which is operated by means ofa lever.

In order that my invention may be clearly understood, I will refer tothe accompanying drawings, in which similar letters of referenceindicate the same parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is an elevation showing the coupling in operation. Fig. 2 is aplan of Fig. ,1.

. Fig. 3 shows the coupling with one side of the female portion removed.Fig. 4c is a detail View of the coupling, showing the pawl out ofcontact with the teeth of the bar and in position to be lifted by thefurther movement of Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of Fig. 6 is an enlargedview of This fem ale Z) Z) are the draw bars to which the couplings arehinged.

couplings are attached to the draw-bars.

d is a ratchet-bar which forms the male coupling. This bar is providedwith an arm or angle-bracket e, which rests against the end of thevehicle to which the baris attached for the purpose of maintaining it ina horizontal position. The teeth of this ratchetbar are shown inthe'drawing's triangular in form; but I do not confine myself to teethof any particular shape, as under varying condesirable. I

ff are-two bars which form the body of the female coupling The end ofeach of these bars expands into a bracket-head, through the lowerportion of which pass-the pins 9' g i for the purpose of securelyjoining them t-ogethe'r, as shown. The said bars are here shown parallelto one another 5 but it maybe found desirable to make them slightlywider apart at the bracket ends to allow for greater play. These barsare also provided with arms or angle-brackets j j, which rest againstthe end of the vehicle to which they are attached.

It is a guideblock on which the male coupling rests when in action andwhich also forms a distance-piece between the bracketheads of the barsaforesaid.

s k is a pawl revolving on an eccentric m, suspended on trunnionsbetween bracket-heads, as shown in Fig. 3.

1 n n are the aforesaid trunnions, which revolve in bearings formed inthe top portions of the bracket-heads.

p is a crank-arm keyedto one ofthe trunnions.

r is a connecting-rod pivoted at one end to the crank-arm p and suitablyconnected at the other by any of the well-known methods, so as to beeasily operated by a weighted handle or lever s or any suitableattachment, which may be placed on the side of the vehicle or in anyother convenient position.

t 25 are converging guide-plates for the purpose of directing the malecoupling d between the bracket-heads of the bars f f.

a: x are guide-pins fixed on each side of the c c are the pins by meansof which the ditions teeth of different forms may be found pawl, workingin suitable inclined slots to 10,

provided on the bracket-heads, for the pur-.

pose of directing and controlling the course of the pawl when lifted bythe eccentric from contact with the toothed bar d.

u is a concentric slot or groove in the side of the pawl 7;. This slotmaybe on both sides of the pawl, if found desirable.

v is a pin in the periphery of the eccentric m which fits into andtravels'iu the slot to.

The method of operating my invention is as follows: When the vehiclesare pushed together, the male coupling 01, being directed by theguide-platest t, enters between the bars ff, the pawl m riding over theteeth until further progress is stopped by the buffers. Thisautomatically completes the coupling. When in this position, thecoupling is securely locked and it is impossible to withdraw theratchet, as from the relative positions of the teeth and the pawl thestrain comes on the dead-center. The gripping faces of the teeth may beslightly rounded, so as to allow of the male coupling having freer playwithout strain when the vehicles are going round a curve. eccentric onis rotated by the crank-arm ,which movement gradually draws the pawlback from contact with the teeth of the male c ou pling, and thepin 'vcoming in contact with the endof the slot at, in which it travels, .thepawl is lifted clear and the vehicles disconnected; It-is obvious that apawloperated by an eccentric such as hereinbefore described can beeasily withdrawn from contact with the teeth of the ratchet no matterhow great the draft strain may be.

Having now particularlydescribed and ascertained the nature of my saidinvention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare thatwhat I claim is 1. In an automatic coupling for use on railway-carriagesand the like, the combination with a coupling-section comprisingatoothed bar, of a coupling-section having two'spaced 1 side bars,between which the toothed bar is ad apt-ed to extend, an eccentricprovided with trunnions mounted to turn in the said side bars, a pawlmounted on the eccentric and actuated thereby, a crank-arm on one of thetrunnions of the eccentric, a rod pivoted at one end to the crank-arm,and means for actuating the said rod, substantially as described.

2.- In an automatic coupling for use on railway-carriages and the like,the combination with a toothed bar hinged at one end to a draw-bar, andprovided at its hinged end with In order touncouple the vehicle, the

the pawl is actuated.

an arm adapted to engage the end of the vehicle to hold the bar in ahorizontal position, of two bars secured together and'arrangedapproximately parallel with each other, the said bars being hinged to adraw-bar on the other vehicle and provided at their hinged ends witharms to engage the vehicle to which they are attached, the other'ends ofsaid bars being provided with heads, an eccentric provided withtrunnions mounted to turn in bearings in the upper part of said heads, apawl mounted to turn on said eccentric and adapted to engage the toothedbar, a guideblock between the said heads at the lower part thereof andon which the toothed bar is adapted to rest, and con vergingguide-plates for directing the toothed bar between the heads,substantially as shown and described. 3. The combination with the twosections to be coupled, of a toothed bar carried by one section, barscarried by the'other section and spaced apart, the outer ends ofsaidbars being enlarged formingbracket-heads, a pawl located between thebracket-heads "and arranged'to engage the toothed bar, and an cceentricby which the pawl is actuated.

4. The combination witha coupling section comprising a toothed bar, of asecond coupling-section provided with a guide on which the toothed baris adapted to rest, a pawl located above the guide and arranged toengage the toothed bar, and an eccentric by which 5. The combinationwitht-wo sections to be coupled, of a pawl carried by one section andarranged to engage and hold the other section, an eccentric on which,the pawl is mounted and by which it is actuated, and a pin-andtrollingthe course of the pawl when lifted.

6. The combination with two sections to be coupled, of a pawl carried byone section and arranged to engage and hold the other section, aneccentric on which the pawl is mounted and by which it is actuated, thesaid eccentric being. provided with a peripheral pin arranged to travelin a slot in the pawl, the

coupling-section carrying the pawl being provided with inclinedguide-slots, and guidepins on each side of the pawl and extending intosaid inclined guide-slots.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 15th day of May,1899.

THOMAS HENRY PATCHING.

\Vitnesses:

T. O. ALLEN, WALTER SIGMONT.

IIO

